Page 181 of What Started In Deception

She nodded. “We did.”

“I liked you from the beginning, Lyd. Your heart is so big. You’re so beautiful. It didn’t take me long to start falling for you.”

Her eyes went soft. “Ty.”

“Us being together… You showed me a whole different way to be. This is what I want. You. Oliver Heights. Whatever we make.”

She swallowed. “But you don’t want to get married. You don’t want children.”

He shook his head. “That’s not true.”

Her brow furrowed. “You said⁠—”

“I said I couldn’t see that for myself with my career. I don’t have that career anymore. When we’re ready, I absolutely want to marry you.”

She smiled. “You do?”

He nodded, kissing her. “Definitely.” He kissed her again. “And making babies with you. Having little hazel-eyed kids running around…”

“They could have blue eyes.”

He shrugged because it wouldn’t matter. They would be their children—the only thing he cared about. “Spending time with Everly and Maverick. Watching you with Everly and Maverick. I want that, Lyd. I very much want that. When I think of my future, I can’t see it without you in it.”

Her eyes went soft again. “Aw.”

His smile was back. “You said to me once that when you know, you know. I know, Lyd.”

She hugged him. “I really do love you.”

He kissed her neck, savoring her words. “I love you, too.”

“But what about work?”

He shrugged again. “I’ve really liked being a personal trainer. In all honesty, I’ve liked helping your gram-gram the most.”

She blinked. “Really?”

He nodded. “She’s gaining more mobility every time we check in, and she’s up to eight-pound weights for some of her arm exercises. I love that I’m helping her keep her independence.”

“Ty, that’s great.”

He nodded, excited by the new possibilities. “I figure it’ll take me some time to build up a solid client base, but I have a decent chunk of change in my savings because I never spend my money on anything but rent, food, and clothes.”

“I’ll definitely help you get the word out. And Grandpa Roger and Grandma Gail know everyone around here.”

He nodded again. “I’ll need a new website since the one I just had belonged to the FBI. And I don’t know if it makes more sense to partner with a gym or rent a space of my own, but I really think I can make this work.”

“Of course you can.”

“I guess the good news is that if I can’t, I can always get my PI license or do criminal-based consulting. There are several options, but I want to try this first.”

She cupped his cheeks. “You can do anything that you want to do. I believe in you.”

He winked, loving the fierceness of her belief. “My biggest cheerleader.”

She grinned. “Absolutely.”

“And she’s sexy as hell, so good for me.”